Relaxing reflexology at Stockwell Mews

Life can get pretty stressful when you’re juggling being a full time Mum, freelancing AND blogging, so when Sarah Groom contacted me through Twitter to offer me a free reflexology session, the answer was a big fat YES.

The Reflexology Retreat is is in an absolutely beautiful setting (I don’t mind saying that I had total house envy). Situated just outside of Silverton, the retreat is a converted summer house in Sarah’s sprawling back garden, the room is beautifully painted antique white and the view through the windows is a sea of green.

When I got there I was looking around the room for a bed, thinking that I could combine reflexology with a bit of a snooze (it had been a long week). There wasn’t one but Sarah invited me to sit in a large reclining chair. I did wonder how I would relax in it but when she reclined it and wrapped me in a blanket I was very cosy indeed.

I’ve never experienced reflexology but I am a fan of holistic therapies and I’ll try anything that comes with a ‘feel good’ promise (almost anything).

While I was relaxing Sarah told me a little about how she found reflexology and how it helped her. I had read on her site that reflexology is a “natural, non-invasive therapy which can be used as a one-off treatment of a specific condition and also for ongoing health and maintenance program helping to keep the body in balance.

She also told me a little about the history of reflexology (it’s very old!), this is also from her site: The “first references to the science of reflexology were made around 2,500 BC in Egyptian documents depicting treatment on feet and hands.. the body was understood as an integrated system. The feet being the ‘microscopic map of the body’. It is possible to understand the health and wellbeing of major body organs, glands, bones, teeth, gums, muscles and nervous system from this map of the body map.”

In layman’s terms; parts of the feet represent parts of the body and if you have an ailment or a problem in your body it will show in your feet. Therefore, treating the feet with pressure and massage in the correct (troubled) areas can fix the body – easy!

I enjoyed having my feet prodded and rubbed, an hour later I was so relaxed I could hardly open my eyelids. Sarah had correctly identified my problematic areas and I could have stayed there and slept for an hour or two. A few days later my feet were still a little tender (maybe I should have opted for a little less pressure) but my lower back pain had improved. After the session I booked myself in for a second one and drove home very carefully.

I’d definitely recommend trying it, but be sure to make time to relax afterwards.

The Retreat is located in Stockwell Mews, Nr Silverton, Exeter, EX5 4DF. For more information call Sarah on: 07585 227822